Macau Travel - Finding Your Way in China's Playground
Macau, China's gambling and entertainment capital, and the country's most atmospheric city, occupies a fairly tiny area of only less than 30 km², but in spite of being so small, the territory is divided to different parts and sections, each with its unique character.
This article will guide you through the various areas that make up Macau.
General orientation
Macau consists of four major areas, lined in a north-south direction: The northernmost of the four is Macau Peninsula, where the town of Macau is.
It used to be an island in the old days but became a peninsula, once the narrow isthmus that separated it from Zhuhai was land-filled.
The Island of Taipa is next in line: "Sandwiched" between the peninsula, to its north, and the reclaimed area of Cotai, to its south, it used to comprise two islands, but land reclamation connected them...
Cotai is a 100% manmade area, which occupies the strait that once separated the Island of Taipa from the Island of Coloane. As a matter of fact, its name is a combination of the names of these two islands ("Co" from Coloane, and "tai" from Taipa).
The island of Coloane, at the southernmost tip of Macau, is the territory's greenest piece of land, and has not been affected by urban development as much as other areas of the city.
Macau Town
Most of the action takes place around the southwestern corner of the peninsula, where the old city of Macau started its life from, more than 500 years ago.
Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, "Macau's Champs Elysee", crosses the southern part of the Peninsula and connects most of the city's places-of-interest. Senado Square (Largo do Senado), along the avenue, can be descried as the hub of Macau town.
Porto Interior (The Inner Harbour), on the western side of Avenida Ribeiro, facing the city of Zhuhai, is where the old port used to be. Its neighboring area, south of Avenida Ribeiro, is packed with heritage buildings and historic sites, such as A-Ma Temple, Lilau Square, St. Joseph's Seminary and Church, Rua da Felicidade and many others...
Macau Tower, the city's most prominent landmark, stands on a piece of reclaimed land, at the southernmost tip of the peninsula.
Still in the city centre, the labyrinth of alleys, on the northern side of Largo Senado, boasts some of Macau's most exciting sites... From Ruins of St. Paul's and the Museum of Macau, to some nice markets and old churches...
The relatively modern area, east of Avenida Ribeiro, can be described as "Macau's Casino Belt", as this is where you can find a cluster of casinos: From the iconic Lisboa, To Wynn Macau, Sands (previously the world's largest casino) and many others...
On the northern side of the "Casino Belt", next to Sands Macau, lies Macau Fisherman's Wharf, a themed entertainment complex worth visiting, and north to it lies the Ferry Terminal, from where you can catch a ferry to Hong Kong.
The northern side of Macau Peninsula is mostly residential and does not boast many tourist attractions and places-of-interest.
Taipa Island
The most prominent feature on Taipa Island is Taipa Village - The island's historic settlement. This small cluster of alleyways can be found on the south side of Taipa, facing "Coati".
Macau Jockey Club and the famous "Four Faces Buddha" are west of Taipa Village, while the eastern side of the village is occupied by the forested hill of "Taipa Grande".
On the north side of Taipa, facing Macau Peninsula, there are some glitzy casino-hotels, as well as the University of Macau.
Cotai
From a distance, the reclaimed area of Cotai looks like one huge construction site, but once you are in there, it is not that bad... The area's most famous sites are the world-famous Venetian and the newly opened City of Dreams.
Coloane
Coloane Village occupies the southwestern corner of Macau's greenest island, and is famous for its peaceful and traditional lifestyle... East of the village, on the island's southernmost coastline, lies picturesque "Cheoc Van Beach" and further east, on the island's eastern side, lies "Hac Sa Beach" - Macau's most popular beach.
Alto de Coloane, Macau's highest hill, occupies the central part of Coloane Island and can be clearly seen from every corner of the island. It is mostly famous for the "A-Ma Cultural Village": An architecturally fascinating complex of shrines, temples and educational rooms, dedicated to Macau's most beloved deity.
On top of the hill, there is a statue of A-Ma that rises to a height of 19.99 m (symbolizing the year 1999, at which Macau was handed back to China).
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